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LOW  COST 

POULTRY  HOUSES. 

PLANS  AND   SPECIFICATIONS   FOR    POULTRY   BUILDINGS, 

COSTING  FROM  $25  TO  $100,   WITH  A  CHAPTER 

ON  POULTRY  HOUSE  CONVENIENCES. 


Second    E^dition. 


A  Valuable,  Practical   Treatise  for  Amateurs 
on  Poultry  Buildings. 


....BY---- 
J.  WALLACE  DARROW, 


Editor  of  "The  Fanciers'  Review,"   and  Publisher  of  "Five  Hundred  Questions  and 

Answers  in  Poultry  Keeping,"  "Art  of  Poultry  Breeding,"  "A  B  C  of  Poultry 

Culture,"  "Pigeon  Queries,"  "Farmers'  Institute  Question  Box 

on  Cattle  and  the  Dairy, ' '  Etc. ,  Etc. 


[copyright  1893.] 


Chatham,  N.  Y. 

The  Fanciees'  Review, 

1899. 


PUBLISHER'S  PREFACE. 
¥    ¥    ¥ 

So  cordially  have  our  previous  little  books  for  poultrymen  been 
received  by  both  people  and  press,  that  we  venture  to  send  out 
another  entitled,  "  Low-Cost  Poultry  Houses."  For  such  a  publica- 
tion we  believe  there  is  an  open  field. 

In  this  little  work  we  have  attempted  nothing  elaborate.  The 
plans  presented  for  poultry  houses  and  poultry  house  fixtures  and 
conveniences,  have  been  for  the  most  part  drawn  and  engraved 
specially  for  this  book,  and  the  descriptions  are  those  of  buildings  as 
they  now  stand,  not  imaginary  **  air  castles."  We  have  kept  in  mind 
the  fact  that  the  majority  of  poultrymen  are  not  millionaires  and 
they  have  no  use  for  $i,ooo  structures  to  house  $ioo  or  $200  worth 
of  birds.  The  plans  and  specifications  herein  contained  call  for  low- 
cost  poultry  houses,  none  exceeding  $100  we  think,  in  cost;  the  most 
under  $50  or  $75.  We  have  tried  to  make  each  description  explicit 
so  that,  with  the  accompanying  illustration,  a  poultryman  may  con- 
struct a  building  after  the  plan  which  pleases  him  best,  or  he  may 
gather  ideas  from  different  plans  from  which  he  may  formulate 
something  yet  more  satisfactory  than  anything  herein  described. 

To  those  who  have  assisted  us  m  this  little  work  by  furnishing 
descriptions,  plans  and  specifications,  we  tender  our  sincere  thanks, 
and  they  will  be  otherwise  remunerated,  and  also  to  "The  Rural 
New  Yorker"  of  New  York  city;  the  "  American  Farmer  "  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C;  the  "Poultry  Monthly"  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  to  Mr. 
J.  W.  Russell  of  Vermillion,  Dak.,  our  thanks  are  likewise  cordially 
extended  for  the  loan  of  plates. 

Our  chief  desire  is  that  this  book  may  be  helpful  to  those  who 
may  desire  to  construct  or  re-model  their  poultry  buildings  after  the 
plans  and  suggestions  here  presented.  J    W.  Darrow. 


Note  to  Second  Edition. 

80  popular  has  been  this  little  work,  that  we  take  pleasure  in  now  present 
ing  the  Second  Edition,  with  some  new  features  added,  and  some  of  the  less 
important  old  ones,  omitted.  An  introductory  article  by  Mr.  J  H.  Davis, 
on  the  general  work  of  building  the  poultry  house,  follows.  We  believe  this 
book  has  been  helpful  to  many;  we  trust  this  edition  will  also  "go  about 
doing  good."  J.  W.  D. 

Chatham,  N.  Y.,  January  1,  1899. 


LOW=COST  POULTRY  HOUSES. 

¥     ¥    ¥ 

INTRODUCTORY. 

¥    ¥    ¥ 

Poultry  Houses  in  General. 

¥    ¥    ¥ 

By  J.  H.  Davis. 

The  poultry  house  should  be  built  substantial,  according  to  cli- 
mate, and  according  to  the  means  of  its  owner.  In  the  Southern 
States,  from  the  Tennessee  line  on  toward  the  Gulf,  the  houses  for 
winter  need  not  be  built  more  substantial  than  the  ordinary  stable  or 
carriage  house.  Yet  they  should  be  made  perfectly  tight,  but  with 
plenty  of  means  of  ventilation. 

In  my  book,  "  The  A  B  C  of  Poultry  Culture,"  will  be  found 
illustration  of  a  house  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  Southern  States,  in- 
asmuch as  it  has  my  idea  of  ventilation,  at  the  bottom,  instead  of  at 
the  top.  We  reproduce  the  illustration  here,  so  that  all  may  see 
what  it  is  like. 


DAVIS'    BOTTOM-VENTILATED    POULTRY    HOUSE. 

The  above  house  is  loxio  feet  square,  5  feet  high  at  back  and 
6  feet  high  at  front,  boarded  up  and  down  and  battened,  tar  paper 
roof  and  lined  with  tar  paper  which  is  w/itye  was/ted  on  the  inside  and 
outside.  The  bottom  ventilation  consists  of  a  strip  of  j^  or  5^  inch 
tnesh  wire  around  the  bottom  of  the  house  on  all  four  sides.     The 


13^7 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


perches  for  roosts  are  wood,  square,  and  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
house,  thus :     A  dropping  board  slanting  down  the  four  sides  with  a 


'I 


WINDOW 


GROUND    PLAN    OF    HOUSE. 

strip  at  the  ends  to  keep  the  droppings  from  falling  to  the  floor  and 
nest  boxes  under  the  dropping  board,  completes  the  interior  arrange- 
ment, which  is  cheap,  simple  and  will  answer  the  purpose.  The 
perches  must  be  made  to  suit  the  number  of  fowls  kept.  And  the 
house  may  be  made  larger  or  smaller  as  required.  The  merit  of  this 
house  is  its  extreme  simplicity  and  perfect  cleanliness.  Five  minutes 
work  will  remove  the  droppings  and  sweep  the  house.  And  any 
person  can  build  such  a  house  in  half  a  day. 

At  the  North  the  poultry  house,  of  necessity,  must  be  built 
strong  and  warm.  It  must  also  have  means  to  ventilate  it  thoroughly 
in  warm  weather.  But  the  best  plan  to  adopt  is  to  roost  the  fowls  all 
out  of  doors  from  May  to  November.  The  birds  will  be  hardier  for 
this  treatment,  and  enjoy  immunity  from  lice  and  mites  that  cause 
so  much  work  when  fowls  roost  in  the  house. 

Grout  houses  are  substantial  and  fairly  cheap.  Brick  houses  can 
also  be  built  cheaply.  A  frame  house,  either  boarded  up  and  down 
and  battened  and  lathed  and  plastered,  or  weatherboarded  and  plas- 
tered, makes  a  good  house.  Windows  and  doors  may  be  put  in  at 
option  of  the  builder.  In  the  summer,  doors  and  windows  may  be 
removed  entirely  and  wire  screens  put  over  the  openings  to  keep  out 
"  varmints."  Of  course  these  buildings  are  intended  for  people  who 
can  afford  to  construct  them,  and  they  may  be  made  very  plain  or 
ornamental  as  the  builder  may  desire. 

Good  houses  may  be  made  on  a  cheaper  plan  by  simply  board- 
ing up  and  down  and  battening,  the  walls  and  ceiling  being  covered 
closely  and  well  with  tar  paper.  All  should  understand  that  in  mod- 
erate or  very  cold  weather,  no  ventilation  at  all  is  necessary.  Do 
you  want  your  window  up  when  the  mercury  is  hovering  about  zero  ? 


•LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


No.  Understand,  then,  that  the  poultry-house  can  not  be  too  tight 
for  cold  weather,  nor  too  open  in  hot  weather. 

For  the  comfort  of  the  fowls,  three  rooms  or  apartments  are 
required. 

For  roosts,  you  want  just  room  enough  to  hold  the  fowls,  as 
they  are  never  on  the  roosts  except  at  night,  if  they  have  other  quar- 
ters. Adjoining  the  roosts  should  be  the  nest-room,  and  at  the  end 
of  this,  the  scratching-room  containing  plenty  of  chaff  or  cut  straw. 
The  floors  should  be  of  earth,  raised  a  foot  above  the  outside,  so  as  to 
insure  dryness.  Absolutely  nothing  is  required  in  the  roosting-place 
but  the  roosts,  which  should  be  low  trestles,  on  which  lay  poles.  1 
prefer  poles  to  2x4  scantling  which  many  use.  When  a  fowl  roosts, 
it  wants  to  grasp  the  perch  with  its  foot.     It  cannot  grasp  a  2x4. 

The  nesting-room  should  be  rather  dark,  as  fowls  prefer  dark 
nests  to  light  ones.  But  the  scratching-room  and  the  roosting-room 
should  have  plenty  of  light,  the  former  more  than  the  latter.  Place 
the  water,  grit,  and  dust  bath  in  the  scratching-room  in  such  a 
position  that  the  birds  cannot  scratch  the  straw  into  the  water 
fountain. 

Build  your  house  substantial,  so  as  to  last  just  as  long  as  your 
dwelling  lasts.  Paint  it,  if  you  can  afford  to  do  so,  every  year. 
Whitewash,  and  clean  the  inside  out  twice  a  year.  Make  your  nests 
permanent.  Then  you  can  take  out  the  old  straw,  burn  it,  give  the 
inside  of  the  nest-boxes  a  coat  of  pine  tar,  replace  the  nests  with  new 
straw,  and  the  thing  is  done. 

The  interior  arrangements  must  be  left  to  the  builder.  All  have 
different  ideas,  and  a  little  experience  will  help  you  to  determine  any 
necessary  change.  There  are  many  plans  of  houses,  and  any  one  can 
build  as  his  circumstances  warrant  and  necessity  demands. 

Some  have  an  idea  that  a  poultry  house  should  be  moved  occas- 
ionally; that  the  premises  get  foul  if  the  house  stands  too  long  in  one 
place.  But  such  is  not  the  case.  The  poultry  bouse  and  premises 
can  be  kept  just  as  clean  and  healthful  as  your  own  house  and  prem- 
ises, during  a  lifetime,  if  you  so  will  it.  I  have  seen  poultry  houses 
in  which  fowls  had  roosted  for  fifty  years,  and  they  were  clean  and 
in  good  condition.  The  main  thing  in  a  poultry  house  is  a  good  roof; 
light  in  roosting  and  scratching  rooms;  ventilation  in  summer;  dirt 
floors,  and  rat  proof. 

I  would  not  advise  roosting  over  fifty  fowls  together.  In  hot 
weather,  if  you  have  no  outside  advantages  to  roost  the  birds,  no 
trees,  you  may  roost  them  in  the  scratching-room,  which  will  not  be 
used  much  in  summer,  if  you  have  gcod  runs,  or  free  range. 

Practically  there  is  no  use  at  all  of  ventilators  in  a  poultry  house. 


LOW   COST    POULTRY    HOUSES, 


In  winter  they  are  useless,  and  in  summer  they  amount  to  nothing, 
as  the  open  doors  and  windows  will  be  sufficient  to  give  the  birds  all 
the  fresh  air  that  can  be  got  inside  of  a  house,  unless  the  bottom  or 
wire  ventilation  is  used,  which  allows  the  fresh  air  to  come  in,  and 
the  foul  air  to  go  out,  as  foul  air  is  heaviest  and  sinks  to  the  floor, 
while  the  pure  or  warmer  air  goes  upward. 

Build  your  house  just  where  it  will  be  the  most  convenient.  If 
the  ground  is  low,  raise  it  up.  If  too  high,  level  down.  Make  the 
house  one  story  or  two  story,  as  you  are  inclined.  Look  over  the 
buildings  as  shown  in  "  Low-Cost  Poultry  Houses,"  and  you  will  get 
what  you  want.  If  you  can  make  any  improvement  on  any  of  the 
houses  herein,  so  much  the  better.  I  have  merely  given  you  the 
main  points  here,  which  you  are  at  liberty  to  improve  on  or  change 
at  your  option.  Roosting-houses  are  only  necessary  in  winter.  The 
nesting,  or  laying-house,  is  necessary  the  year  round. 


COMFORTABLE  POULTRY  H0USE.--COST  $34. 

¥     ¥    ¥ 

The  poultry  house  illustrated  on  the  next  page  is  one  in  which 
convenience  and  comfort  are  the  prime  considerations.  The  roosting 
and  laying-house,  which  constitutes  the  main  building,  is  10x20  feet, 
shown  in  rear  side  view  at  Fig.  i  in  illustration.  The  front  of  the 
building  is  eight  feet  high,  with  space  of  two  feet  between  ground 
run  (H)  and  board  floor  above  same,  as  seen  in  Fig.  2  of  the  illus- 
tration. The  height  of  roof  above  the  floor  is,  therefore,  six  feet. 
The  rear  posts  of  the  building  at  point  of  junction  with  the  shed  are 
five  feet  high.  The  shed  adjoining  the  rear  of  the  main  structure  is 
16x20  feet,  making  with  the  space  beneath  floor  in  main  building  a 
ground  run  of  20x26  feet. 

At  B  is  the  passage  way  two  feet  wide  extending  the  full  width 
of  the  building  with  door  shown  at  C  entering  the  hennery  proper. 
The  outer  entrance  door  is  seen  at  A.  The  roosting  perches  are 
shown  at  E,  drop  boards  at  F,  nests  at  G  and  located  under  the  drop 
boards.  In  the  partition  back  of  the  nests  is  a  hinged  board  one  foot 
wide,  through  which  opening  eggs  are  taken  from  the  nests.  At  7  is 
shown  a  trap  door  through  floor  to  ground  run. 

The  window  in  the  shed  roof  is  $x;^  feet  and  hinged  to  afford 
ventilation  in  summer.  At  S  S  in  both  figures  are  shown  openings 
for  ventilation  four  inches  in  diameter.  The  board  floor  in  Fig.  2,  as 
before  stated,  is  two  feet  above  ground  and  can  be  covered  with  tar 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


paper  on  which  several  thicknesses  of  newspapers  are  first  laid,  and 
on  top  of  these  another  layer  of  tarred  felt  is  tacked  on  with  laths 
two  feet  apart.  This  floor  should  be  kept  covered  with  sand  or  dry- 
dirt  about  three  inches  deep.  Coal  ashes  may  also  be  used  on  it  to 
good  advantage.  Over  the  roosting  drop  boards  tarred  felt  is  also 
put  and  this  is  kept  covered  with  ashes. 

The  inside  walls  of  the  house  are  sheathed  with  slate  paper,  over 
which  is  tacked  a  dozen  layers  or  so  of  newspapers  and  then  another 
layer  of  slate  or  tarred  paper.  This  house  is  water  and  wind  proof 
and  so  warm  in  winter  that  a  pan  of  water  will  scarcely  freeze 
over  in  it. 


FIG.  1. 


FIG.  2. 
Comfortable  Poultry  House. 
[Plans  and  Specifications  by   Capt.  W.  A.  Phillips,  Chicago,  111.] 

Capt.  Phillips  of  Chicago,  who  furnished  the  description  of  this 
building  for  this  book,  says:  "  In  building  my  house  I  bought  hem- 
lock lumber,  paying  $9.50  per  M.  for  2x4s,  and  $11.80  for  common 
boards,  and  $12.50  where  they  were  tongued  and  grooved.  The  run 
under  the  house  with  the  long  shed  run  in  addition,  is  an  excellent 
place  for  fowls  at  all  times  of  the  year  and  it  is  especially  warm  in 
winter,  giving  also  plenty  of  scratching  room  for  the  hens.  In  the 
summer  it  is  thrown  wide  open  and  the  ends  taken  down,  making  a 


lO  LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES, 

cool  place  and  affording  protection  from  rain  and  winds.  In  this 
house,  divided  into  pens,  were  kept  last  winter  sixty-three  fowls  with 
the  loss  of  only  one." 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

1,260  ft.  matched  boards,  100  2x2  in.  scantling,  70  2x4  joists. .  $20  60 

2  windows  for  covered  run i  50 

5  small  windows i  20 

15  lbs.  nails,  hardware,  etc i  25 

Lath 40 

5  squares  roofing  paper. 5  00 

3  squares  tarred  felt  for  floor 3  00 

8  squares  sheathing  paper. i  00 

Total  cost $33  95 


A  BUILDING  COSTING  ABOUT  $80. 
¥   ¥    ¥ 

The  building  shown  at  Fig.  i  of  the  accompanying  engraving  is 
40  ft.  front  by  12  ft.  in  width,  and  same  plans  can  be  adapted  to  a 
lean-to  structure  if  preferred.  The  arrangement  of  interior  is  simple. 
An  alley  2  ft.  6  in.  wide  extends  full  length  of  building  (see  Fig.  4) 
with  a  cross  alley  4  ft.  wide  from  which  entrance  is  had  to  the  pens. 
Each  pen  is  about  9  ft.  square.  The  nests  are  so  arranged  as  to  be 
accessible  for  gathering  the  eggs  from  the  long  alley.  At  Fig.  2  a 
section  of  nest  boxes  and  roosting  perches  is  shown.  The  nests  are 
one  foot  square  with  an  opening  to  each  box  in  alley-way.  The 
location  of  the  roosting  perches  and  drop-boards  may  be  seen  at  Fig. 
3.  The  perches  are  on  a  hinged  frame  so  that  they  may  be  turned 
up  out  of  the  way  when  drop-board  is  cleaned. 

The  house  is  sided  with  boards.  The  windows  are  3x5  ft.  2  in. 
Partitions  are  boarded  up  2  ft.  from  ground  and  above  the  boards 
there  is  4  ft.  wire  netting.  The  inside  doors  are  simply  frames 
covered  with  wire.     The  following  shows 

THE    COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

1,300  sq.  ft.  matched  boards,  spruce $26  00 

350  ft.  2x4  joist 4  00 

300  ft.  2x3  scantling 3  50 

4  windows. 20  00 

250  sq.  ft.  wire  netting —  3  75 

300  sq.  ft.  tar  roofing 6  00 

Nails  and  hardware i  00 

Labor  of  carpenter 18  00 

Total  cost $82  25 

Each  additional  running  foot  front  will  cost  about  $2.25. 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


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A  Bui/ding  Costing  About  $80. 
Plans  and  Specifications  by  Frank  Losee,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.] 


12  LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES.  

A  CHEAP  HOUSE.-COST  1^22. 
¥    ¥    ¥ 

The  poultry  house  shown  herewith  at  Fig.  i  front  view  and  Fig.  2 
rear  view  is  10x25  ^^et  and  contains  three  pens.  Two  of  them  are 
7/^x8^  feet  and  the  other  10x8^  feet.  The  north  side  is  6  feet  high 
and  the  south  side  4  feet.  The  material  is  $12  lumber,  matched  pine 
7-8  inch  thick.  Gravel  is  used  for  the  floor.  The  nest  boxes  and 
nests  are  all  in  the  hall  so  they  can  be  easily  reached.  The  roosts  are 
made  so  as  to  clean  from  the  hall  by  lifting  a  six-inch  board  off  the 
back  or  pulling  them  out  on  a  slide.  There  is  one  six-light  window 
in  each  pen,  which  is  all  that  is  necessary.  The  doors  are  made  so  as 
to  slide  from  one  coop  to  another,  except  the  last  door,  which  is  made 
to  swing.  There  is  a  hallway  2}^  feet  wide,  extending  two-thirds  of 
the  length  of  the  building.  The  last  coop  is  full  width.  There  will 
be  required  to  construct  this  building: 

700  feet  of  lumber $8  40 

Nails  -. 50 

Labor 6  00 

Screen 2  00 

Three  windows 3  75 

Paint I  00 

Total  cost-. $2165 


A  PLAIN  STRUCTURE  FOR  $30. 

¥  ¥  ¥ 
The  building  here  described  is  intended  to  accommodate  thirty 
fowls.  Its  construction  is  simple  and  easily  understood  from  the 
illustration.  It  is  30  ft.  long,  10  ft.  wide  and  8  ft.  high  in  front,  6  ft. 
in  rear.  Roof  is  of  tarred  paper.  The  hall  is  4x4  ft.,  from  which 
entrance  is  had  to  the  pens.  The  light  lines  shown  at  either  side  of 
entrance  are  to  represent  sliding  doors  which  may  be  lifted  to  admit 
a  wheelbarrow  into  which  the  droppings  may  easily  be  swept  from 
drop-boards  under  the  roosts.  At  the  letters  A  A,  a  6-inch  board  is 
set  up  on  edge  and  gravel  is  filled  in  from  it  to  the  outer  side  of  pen. 
The  plan  should  show  two  scratching  pens,  the  partition  between  the 
two  having  been  omitted  in  the  drawing,  however. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

1,500  ft.  common  siding.. $18  00 

300  ft.  rafters,  posts  and  plates 3  60 

Windows 4  00 

Tar  paper  for  roof 3  80 

Door  fixtures,  nails,  etc 60 


Total  cost $30  00 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


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v//wwM///>w//fA       smmei 


FIG,  3, 
A  Cheap  House.     (Plans  and  Specilications  by  J.  B.  Jones,  Batavia,  N.  Y.] 


Fid.  I. 


FIG.  ? 


A  Plain  Structure.  [Plans  and  Specifications  by  F.  C.  lELPrEU),  Silver  Creek,  N.  Y.] 


14  LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


A  $33  POULTRY  BUILDING. 
¥    ¥    ¥ 

A  plain  structure  is  that  shown  on  following  page,  but  one  that 
answers  a  good  purpose  for  twenty-five  or  thirty  fowls.  It  shows 
plans  for  two  pens  only,  but  these  can  be  duplicated  on  same  plan  to 
the  extent  desired. 

The  building  shov,rn  at  Fig.  i  is  ioxi6  ft.,  and  9  ft.  high  in  front, 
and  5  ft.  in  rear.  It  is  sided  up  and  down  with  common  matched 
boards.  Tar  paper  is  used  as  sheathing,  and  the  floor  being  double, 
the  paper  is  also  used  between  floor  boards.  The  roof  is  covered 
with  No,  I  shingles.  Some  may  prefer  ground  floor,  and  if  so,  the 
cost  will  be  still  less. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

400  ft.  common  boards $4  00 

220  ft.  for  flooring. i  75 

400  ft.  common  boards  for  lining 3  20 

200  ft.  spruce  or  hemlock _  i  80 

2  squares  No.  i  shingles 4  00 

Tar  paper 2  10 

200  ft.  2x4s,  10  ft.  long 200 

22  ft.  2x4s,  19  ft.  long,  for  plates 22 

96  ft.  4x6s,  1 6  ft.  long,  for  sills 96 

90  ft.  6x6s,  10  ft.  long,  mud  sills 90 

64  ft.  2x4s,  1 2  ft.  long,  for  rafters 64 

60  ft.  common  lumber  for  drop  boards,  nests,  etc 48 

Lath  for  partitions 60 

Hardware i  80 

Windows 2  40 

Labor  of  carpenter 5  00 

Total $31  85 

The  cost  of  lumber  is  figured  at  $ro  per  M  for  best  grade;  $8  for 
second;  $9  for  hemlock,  and  $10  for  scantling,  etc. 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


IS 


FIG.  1. 


l(o' 


^^ii:^:^^^^;^'^^^^^^^^:^^^^^ 


NESTS- 


§ 


■NESTS- 


v..'       DROP    B 


DROP  B 


ROOSTS 


ROOSTS 


RUN 


WATER 


RUN 


10' 


OUST    BOX 


^^^ 


KS>^^tti^\\^4i^iVi5^ 


OUST  BOX 


^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 


1,\\\SV^SS\VW^ 


FIG.  2. 

A  $32  Poultry  Bui/ding. 
[Plans  and  Specifications  by  D.  L.  SoMEBViiiLE,  Stewarttown,  Ont.  ] 


l6  LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


SUNNYSIDE  POUIiTRY  HOUSE-COST  $35. 

¥    ¥    ¥ 

The  accompanying  cut  shows  ground  plan  with  dimensions  of  a 
poultry  house  with  three  apartments  for  three  distinct  breeds.  The 
size  of  main  building  is  18x24,  with  one  door  entering  into  a  hall- way 
which  runs  full  length  of  building  and  is  three  feet  wide,  giving 
ample  room  to  run  a  wheelbarrow  in  to  clean  out  the  various  com- 
partments. Also  a  drop  door  is  left  on  the  nests,  the  back  part  of 
which  extends  three  inches  into  the  hall  and  allows  you  to  remove 
eggs  or  examine  nests  without  entering  into  the  compartment  where 
the  fowls  are.  The  nests  are  to  be  made  portable,  so  as  to  be  easily 
taken"out  and  cleaned  when  desired,  giving  them  a  thorough  renova- 
tion at  will.  The  roosts  are  suspended  near  the  centre  of  each  pen 
by  wires  at  the  four  corners  with  a  hook,  making  them  portable  and 
very  easily  taken  out  and  renovated.  A  dusting  place  is  shown  on 
diagram  in  rij^ht  hand  corner  of  each  pen,  where  the  sun  will  keep  it 
dry,  being  right  under  the  large  windows;  the  size  of  it  is  2x2x3, 
being  three-cornered.  The  dotted  lines  running  lengthwise  of  the 
building  represent  a  six-inch  board  stood  on  edge  on  ground,  forming 
a  litter  or  scratching  apartment  4x8  feet.  Soft-feed  boards  are  shown 
on  diagrams  in  each  pen,  which  are  made  2x6  and  lathed  18  inches 
high,  roof  shape,  all  around;  leavmg  lath  wide  enough  so  that  the 
fowls  can  get  their  heads  through  to  eat  comfortably.  This  prevents 
them  from  trampling  the  feed  and  spoiling  it;  this  is  made  portable 
and  easy  to  clean.  The  doors  to  the  various  entrances  are  shown  in 
cut  by  x  X  X  X.  The  cross  lines  thus  — 1|— i— 1|— 1|  are  the  partitions 
separating  each  pen  and  are  boarded  tight  18  inches  high,  then  lat- 
ticed with  lath  or  wire  netting.  The  water  troughs  are  made  to  slide 
under  the  partition,  which  of  itself  forms  a  fence  to  keep  fowls  from 
getting  any  more  than  their  heads  in  to  drink.  The  height  of  front 
to  eaves  is  9  feet;  the  other  one  foot  can  be  run  up  past  and  a  board 
put  on  which  adds  to  the  appearance  of  outside.  The  back  is  6  feet 
high,  which  allows  a  drop  of  3  feet  to  18,  amply  sufficient  to  run  off 


LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


n 


water.     The  two  middle  posts  are  shown  in  cut  simply  to  give  '& 
plainer  view  of  where  the  divisions  are  on  inside. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

480  ft.  common  boards  for  roof $7  68 

600  ft.  ship  caps  for  sides  and  ends 10  80 

40  pieces  2x4  12  ft.,  10  pieces  2x4  18  feet 8  00 

3  large  windows i  00 

3  small  windows i  00 

ICO  pounds  tar  felt _  309 

30  ft.  wire  netting  4  ft.  wide 1  35 

5  bunches  lath 88 

Nails  and  lock i  cto 


Total  cost... 
The  above  does 


CO 
0 

e. 


-F  a; 


not  include  cost  of  labor  on  building. 

West 


$34  7.* 


Soft  Feed  Board . 


Perches  hung  frorr> 


Celling  bu  Wire 


at  4  Corneii 


E0 


PARTITION 

1 1  I  r  I  I  \  1  1  I  I  I 


\/\/atsr 


||M   l|>H-t-^ 


Perches  hung  from 


Celling  by  Wire 


at  ^Corners. 


y] 


C04- 


P  ART  IT  ION  , 

I  I  I  I  I  ■  I  c  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  I  i  1  I  il 


Water 


Perches  hung  from 


Celling  by  Wire 


at  4- Corners. 


Soft  Feed  Board 


East 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES, 


A  HOUSE  FOR  FIFTY  FOWL.S.-COST  $32. 

1»    *    * 

This  building  is  1 2  ft.  long,  8  ft.  wide,  7  ft.  high  in  front  with  2  f^. 
iaU.  Ordinary  boxing  lumber  battened  with  tin  strips  is  used  {qt 
Riding  nailed  to  a  base  and  top  frame  of  2x4  in.  stuff.  The  roof  is 
shingled.  There  are'lhree  openings  (two  windows  covered  with  wire 
^letting  and  one  large  door),  one  small  window  in  the  rear,  a  large, 
wihdow  in  the  front  side  and  the  door  in  this  end,  as  shown  by  the 
illustration.  The  small  window  in  rear  end  is  2  ft.  wide,  3  ft.  long, 
4  ft.  from  the  floor  running  i  ft.  from  the  left-hand  corner,  not  to 
extend  over  the  platform;  the  window  in  front  of  building  is  2  ft. 
wide,  10  ft.  long,  4  ft.  from  floor,  running  i  ft.  from  either  corner; 
the  door  is  3  ft.  wide,  5  ft.  high  and  just  opposite  the  rear  window, 
fn  the  bottom  of  the  large  door  is  an  8x12  in.  slide  door  for  the  fowls 
to  pass  out  and  in  when  the  large  door  is  closed.  Boxing  lumber  is 
used  for  flooring  laid  on  2x4  in.  sleepers,  the  right-hand  half  of  the 
floor  being  i  ft.  above  the  base  or  left-hand  half,  making  a  platform 
over  which  the  roosting  frame  is  placed,  and  under  which  the  fowls 
may  go  for  shelter  from  hot  sun  and  bad  weather.  The  roosting 
frame  (C)  is  9  ft.  long,  3^2  feet  wide,  made  of  2x4  in.  stuff  with  1x3  in. 
perches  every  i^  ft.  apart  crosswise  of  the  frame,  the  same  being 
suspended  by  wire  from  the  rafters  3  ft.  above  the  platform  running 
lengthwise  from  the  rear  end,  thus  leaving  3  ft.  of  this  end  of  the 
platform  on  which  to  set  feed  troughs,  water  vessels,  etc.,  as  the 
lower  floor  is  for  litter  and  the  dust  bath.  The  nest  boxes  (A)  are 
made  of  boxing  lumber  and  nailed  to  the  siding  of  the  building.  The 
lower  floor  and  platform  (B)  are  divided  by  a  12-in.  board  run- 
ning lengthwise  of  the  building.  The  object  of  the  platform  floor 
under  roosts  is  that  it  will  be  easier  cleaned,  and  as  the  front  part  of 
the  floor  will  be  used  to  scatter  litter  on,  the  other  end  of  platform 
will  be  used  for  feed  troughs  and  water  vessel. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

350  ft.  boxing  lumber  at  $1.60... $5  60 

150  ft.  2x4  in.  plank  at  $t.6o.. ,.„ 2  40 

350  ft.  1x3  in.  stuff  at  $1.60 5  60 

1 54  M  shingles  at  $2 3  00 

Hardware — nails,  hinges,  wire  netting,  etc... i  40 

Labor — two  men  one  day  at  $2. 4  00 

Total  cost $22  00 


LOW    COST   POULTRY    HOIJS^S. 


19 


A  House  For  50  Hens.     [See  Previous  page.] 
[Plans  and  Specifications  by  W,  A.  Thokp,  Dallas,  Tex  ] 


A  HANDY  POULTRY  HOUSE— COST  $28. 


¥    ¥    ¥ 


The  building  shown  on  following  page  is  9x24  feet.  Use  for  the 
frame  2x4  hemlock  scantlings  if  they  can  be  obtained.  Get  six  large 
stones,  four  for  the  corners,  and  two  to  be  placed  12  feet  from  the 
corners  on  each  side.  Lay  two  12 -foot  scantling  end  to  end  for  each 
side.  Upon  these  on  the  ends  and  in  the  middle  lay  the  three  nine- 
foot  cross-pieces  and  spike  all  together.  Level  carefully.  Set  up 
the  six  uprights  upon  the  extremities  of  the  cross-pieces,  the  front 
ones  being  four  feet  eight  inches  long,  those  at  the  back  six  feet 
eight  inches.  Then  put  on  the  plates  (12  feet  2x4  scantlings.)  Two 
pieces  should  be  set  in  the  frame  at  the  back  about  three  feet  eight 
inches  above  the  sill  to  help  to  support  the  platform  and  for  nailing 
the  siding  to  them.  Then  tack  strips  of  tarred  paper  up  and  down 
outside  the  frame  at  the  back,  and  nail  on  the  siding  over  it.  There 
are  nine  sets  of  rafters  three  feet  apart.  The  scantlings  are  cut  seven 
feet  four  inches  and  three  feet  eleven  and  one-half  inches,  the  long- 
est measure.  Old  fence  boards  can  be  used  for  the  piece  which  binds 
them  together,  forming  a  truss.  The  rafters  can  all  be  framed  before 
they  are  set  up,  if  one  set  is  put  together  for  a  pattern. 

Now  set  up  the  rafters,  put  on  tarred  paper  crosswise,  then  the 
roof  boards.  The  ends  are  next  sided,  the  tarred  paper  having  been 
first  applied  as  before.  Next  comes  shingling;  the  front  is  finished 
last.      Four  windows  z^zY^,  are  sufficient.     A  long  scantling  set  in 


90 


LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


t3,i>t 


Fig.  5.  Fig. '6. 

4  Handy  Po'iltry  House. 
[Plans  and  Specifications  Furnished  by  The  Kueal  New  Yoekeb.] 


LOW   COST   POULTRY    HOUSES.  »! 

the  frame  forms  the  window  sill  and  pieces  of  the  same  set  up  make 
a  frame  for  the  window,  which  extends  to  the  plate.  The  door  frame 
is  five  feet  wide  and  three  feet  eight  inches  high.  A  frame  of  2x4 
scantling  is  made  in  the  building  as  for  a  stationary  table  or  counter, 
and  inch  rough  hemlock  boards  are  nailed  on  lengthwise  of  the 
building. 

Crosswise  of  the  building,  about  eight  inches  apart,  are  thirty- 
four  roost  poles  of  2x2  stuflE  with  the  corners  shaved  off.  The  poles 
are  four  feet  long  and  fourteen  inches  above  the  platform. 

Eighteen  nests,  12  inches  high  and  deep,  and  14  mches  wide  are 
placed  under  the  front  of  the  platform.  The  hens  go  in  from  the 
back  side  at  a  hole  6x7  inches.  A  board  shelf  is  put  up  on  which 
they  can  walk  along  to  the  nests,  and  a  short  ladder  reaches  to  the 
ground.  The  sides  and  bottom  of  the  nests  are  of  single  boards  12 
inches  wide,  with  board  divisions;  but  the  front  board  is  slit  into 
three  pieces  of  equal  width;  the  middle  one  being  hinged  at  the  bot- 
tom and  fastened  with  a  button  at  the  top,  turns  down,  opening  nine 
nests  at  a  time.  The  ladders  upon  which  the  hens  climb  to  the  roosts 
are  set  out  so  that  the  turning  down  of  the  above  pieces  may  not  be 
interfered  with.  These  are  merely  boards  with' cleats  nailed  across 
them.     If  a  ventilator  is  put  in  it  should  open  near  the  ground. 

Figure  i  is  a  cross-section  of  the  building.  Figure  2  is  a  cross- 
section  of  a  cheap  three-section  breeding-pen  house  (requiring  about 
400  feet  of  lumber.)  Figure  3  shows  the  construction  of  the  nests  and 
roosts.  Figure  4  is  a  convenient  arrangement  for  six  breeding-pens 
with  yard  (these  are  26^x70  feet.)  Figure  5  (5)  is  a  wooden  station- 
ary feed  box.  Figure  6  (6)  is  a  water  trough  of  galvanized  iron, 
which  any  tinner  can  make.  Figure  5  (7)  is  a  long  box  with  slats 
across  the  top — a  very  convenient  feeding  box.  Figure  6  (8)  is  a 
perpetual  feeding  box  for  use  in  fattening  fowls,  feeding  dry  bran  or 
ground  shells,  bone,  grit,  etc. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

400  feet  matched  pine,  at  $18  per  M._.- $7  20 

120  feet  hemlock  boards,  at  $13  per  M i  50 

230  feet  2x4  hemlock,  at  $13  per  M 3  00 

Shingles _  6  75 

4  windows,  at  $1.25 5  00 

100  pounds  tarred  paper 2  50 

Nails,  hinges,  etc 200 

Total  cost _.  $27  95 

No  estimate  is  made  for  roof  boards,  as  old  fence  boards  were 
utilized.  One  dollar's  worth  of  oil  and  Venetian  red  should  paint  the 
building  twice  over. 


82.  -  LOW    COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


A  HOUSE  COSTING  $32. 
¥    ¥    ¥ 

The  annexed  sketch  represents  a  poultry  house  suitable  for  a 
person  keeping  a  small  number  of  fowls.  The  size  of  house  is  38  ft. 
long  and  8  ft.  wide,  8  ft.  high  in  front  and  6  ft.  high  in  rear,  in  other 
words,  a  lean-to  shed  with  sufficient  slope  to  the  roof  to  shed  the 
water  readily;  6  ft.  on  each  side  of  this  building  is  utilized  as  open 
sheds.  The  16  ft.  in  centre  is  boarded  tightly  all  around  except  a 
door  in  each  end  to  admit  to  the  shed  on  either  end.  In  building  the 
house  use  either  2x4  or  3x4  scantling  for  posts,  sills  and  frame  work 
of  house;  for  weather  boarding  and  roof  use  one-inch  thick  and  12- 
inch  wide  hemlock  boards,  same  to  be  placed  up  and  down  and  cleat 
with  ordinary  building  laths  to  keep  out  draughts.  The  flat  roof  is 
covered  with  standard  roofing  paper  properly  cleated  and  then 
covered  with  two  coats  roofing  paint.  The  house  should  front  south, 
and  in  front  make  two  windows  of  9x12  glass.  Sheds  are  closed  in 
on  all  sides  except  front,  where  there  is  a  wire-covered  door  3  ft. 
wide,  6  ft.  high,  the  balance  of  front  to  be  covered  with  wire  in  order 
to  admit  sunlight. 

In  the  sheds  may  be  placed  food  and  water  for  the  fowls  and 
also  a  box  3x6  ft.  for  dust^bath;  a  box  properly  partitioned  can  also  be 
placed  in  the  sheds  for  bone  and  oyster  shells.  This  shed  will  afford 
shade  in  the  summer  time  and  protection  to  fowls  in  the  winter. 
The  main  house  is  divided  into  two  rooms  8x8,  partitioned  off  with 
wire,  with  3  ft.  hall  on  one  side  running  the  entire  length  of  house, 
partitioned  off  with  wires  or  laths.  In  each  room  there  is  a  platform 
2  ft.  high  and  7  ft.  long,  under  which  place  nests,  using  nail  kegs  with 
part  of  one  side  cut  out.  In  front  of  platform  make  a  door  i  ft.  wide 
and  7  ft.  long  through  which  to  get  the  eggs  from  nests.  In  making 
platform  7  ft.  long  it  will  leave  i  ft.  space  in  front  for  hens  to  go 
tinder  platform  to  lay.  The  top  to  platform  should  be  on  hinges  to 
raise  up  out  of  the  way  when  it  is  necessary  to  clean  behind  it.  Over 
top  of  platform  place  roosting  poles  i)^  ft.  apart  and  2  ft. 
above  platform ;  these  roosts  should  be  on  hinges  so  as  to  be 
thrown  out  of  the  way  during  day.  The  floor  of  house  should  be  of 
dirt  unless  in  damp  locality  where  board  floor  is  best.    Ventilator  is 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES 


■  H 


FIG.  J. 


-z&- 


7' 


yy^^^^-^>>.^yy^x^>x'^^vy>'^^yyx'-v>yx'x'^y^^x'>y>^^^x'yy^y^yjvyyy/yy^^^ 


L 


BO' IE 


r 


ROOSTS 


7'-^' 


ROOSTS 


\ 


HoHc 


Vf///J//y/^////JfA 


r/y/yy///^/y/////y^77t 


v/w/////////7r^?c 


JUMi/^V. 


w 


/I  Hoj!:>g  Costing  $32. 
[Plans  and  Specifications  by  J.  G.  Longfellow,  Clayton,  Del.] 

shown  at  top  of  house  2  ft.  high  and  i  ft.  wide,  and  is  to  be  closed  in 
winter  time.  No  further  detailed  explanation  of  drawings  is  neces- 
sary as  they  are  self-explanatory. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

850  ft.  hemlock  siding $13  60 

262  ft.  3x4  scantling- 

2  windows,  glasses  9x12 

Hoofing  paper 

Nails - - - 

Hardware — 

Wire  netting... .-. 

iiaths .- 

Labor 

feint --. 


4 

32 

I 

20 

2 

50 

50 

50 

I 

66 

35 

5 

Ob 

2 

00 

Total  cost $31  63 


«4  LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


AN  $18  HOUSE. 
¥    ¥    ¥ 

The  accompanying  figures  illustrate  a  cheap  and  comfortable 
poultry  house.  The  posts  are  seven  feet  and  the  distance  from 
ground  to  ridge  of  roof  is  lo  feet.  The  dimensions  of  the  building 
are  10x20  feet.  The  east  side  is  covered  by  1x3  inch  strips  two 
inches  apart.  The  south  side  is  boarded  up  three  feet  from  bottom, 
stripped  four  feet,  and  then  boarded  to  peak  of  roof.  The  north  and 
west  sides  are  boarded  up  tight.  This  gives  protection  for  cold 
weather  in  a  mild  climate  and  is  very  cool  in  summer.  In  a 
colder  climate  it  would  probably  be  necessary  to  board  all  sides  of 
building  up  tight. 

The  house  is  divided  into  four  compartments  by  wire  netting 
with  two  1 2 -inch  boards  at  base,  which  is  sufficient  to  keep  cocks 
from  fighting.  For  roosts,  I  use  pine  trees  about  five  inches  in  diam- 
eter. The  nest  boxes  are  in  the  rear  of  each  pen,  as  shown  in  illtis- 
tration.  In  this  house  were  kept  four  breeding-pens  of  fowls,  one 
cock  and  ten  hens  to  each  yard.  They  thrive  well  and  were  seldom 
troubled  with  disease  of  any  kind. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

825  ft.  I XI 2  boards,  at  $10  per  M $8  25 

200  ft.  1x3  boards,  at  $10  per  M 2  00 

iSoft.  2x3  for  framing. pp 

30  ft.  2-in.  wire  mesh  six  feet  wide 50 

Nails SO 

Staples  for  wire  netting i,o 

4  pairs  hinges  with  screws 60 

Labor  of  one  man  two  days,  at  $2.50 5  00 

Total  cost - $17  85 


LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


»S 


FIG.  1- 


_  10'- 


Exit 

ROOSTS 

I                               ROOSTS 

Exrr 

' 1 

5* 

1 

NESTS      1          1 

:  1        j          NESTS     1 

V 

"^^ 

1 

1            .11 

•;  1     1     1    •  -    1 

EX.* 

EHIT 

s 

1 

OOOR 

i                                               OOOR 

' y/iimiimm           =1 

FIG.  2. 
An   $18   House. 
[Plans  and  Specifications  by  A.  E.  Shaw,   Bay  St.  Louis,  Miss.] 


16  LOW    COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 

A  $100  POULTRY  BUILDING. 

¥    ¥    ¥ 

The  building,  Fig.  i,  is  16  feet  wide  and  32  feet  long,  with  alley 
three  feet  wide  near  the  centre,  the  floor  of  which  is  two  feet  above 
the  floor  of  the  house,  thus  giving  a  good,  dark,  quiet  place  for  nests, 
which  are  located  under  floor  at  A,  Fig.  2,  and  are  easily  reached 
through  trap  doors,  B  (shown  at  Fig.  4)  in  alley  floor.  The  partition 
between  the  roosting  and  laying  pen  and  the  scratching  pen  below 
alley  floor,  is  solid  except  a  slide  door  i  foot  wide  by  i  %  feet  high. 
The  scratching  pens  are  7x12  feet  each  and  are  lighted  by  the 
window,  C,  (Fig.  i),  hinged  at  top,  fastened  with  cupboard  catch  by 
gravity  and  opened  or  closed  from  alley  by  cord.  E,  in  Fig.  3,  rep- 
resents doors  from  alley  into  pens  on  either  side.  (The  doors  are 
made  of  lath.)  One  short  board  forms  a  step,  F,  making  it  easy  to 
go  from  alley  into  pens.  The  dust  bath  boxes,  G,  are  2  feet  wide  and 
6  inches  deep  and  two  feet  above  them  are  the  platforms,  H,  to  catch 
the  droppings;  one  foot  above  these  are  the  roosts,  I. 

By  means  of  the  lower  windows,  C,  sufficient  light  is  provided  in 
the  scratching  pens  and  by  the  upper  windows,  K,  good  light  is  given 
for  the  dust  baths,  G,  in  the  north  part  of  the  pen.  In  the  summer, 
the  sun  being  high,  no  direct  sunshine  enters  either  part  of  the  pen 
and  by  keeping  both  sets  of  windows  open  it  makes  a  very  cool  place 
for  the  fowls.  The  nests,  below  alley  floor,  are  i  foot  deep  and  1)4 
feet  square,  open  at  top  and  about  two-thirds  of  the  way  down  the 
south  side.  They  have  a  small  piece  of  narrow  board  nailed  across 
the  bottom  and  extending  out  on  the  south  side  for  a  step  for  the 
hens  in  going  on  and  ofE  the  nest. 

The  building  is  constructed  of  hemlock  lumber  and  covered 
entirely  with  roofing  paper  and  cost  complete  about  $3  per  running 
foot. 

COST    OF    MATERIAL. 

2,500  ft.  hemlock,  at  $15- $37  50 

1,500  ft.  Neponset  roofing 15  00 

18  sash,  6  lights,  8x10 9  00 

50  lbs.  8d  wire  nails i  50 

10  lbs.  2d  wire  nails _  25 

I  hasp,  2  hooks,  36  pair  2-in.  butts,  2  pairs  6-in.  T  hinges —  2  00 

500  laths - -  I  50 

Carting 4  5© 

Carpenter  work.. 25  00 

Boxes  for  nests 50 

Posts  for  foundation i  50 

Total  cost $98  25 

If  a  man  happens  to  be  handy  with  carpenters'  tools  and  does 
the  work  himself,  the  $25  then  could  be  saved,  thus  reducing  the  cost 
to  about  $70. 


LOW    COST    POULTRY   HOUSES. 


27 


FIG.  2. 


no.  3. 


G 

6 

I                 & 

««.         , 

r 

F 

1 

i             [Z?D 

C 

■1  ^ 

SCATSHIN*    PiK 

-     <  z'  - 

EXIT. 

£. 

F 

FIG.  4. 


A  $100  Poultry  Building. 
[Flans  and  Specifications  by  F.  A.  Eappleye,  Farmer,  N.  Y.] 


S8  LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


A  CANADIAN  POULTRY  HOUSE.-COST  $65. 

¥    ¥    ¥ 

The  accompanying  sketch  illustrates  a  convenient  hous9  for 
fowls,  the  cost  of  which,  not  including  labor,  was  $54  52,  The  build- 
ing is  14x32,  and  7  ft.  high  at  front  and  5  ft.  at  rear.  Only  a  short 
section  is  shown  in  the  cut.  The  roof  is  sheathed  with  inch  hemlock 
covered  with  tar  paper,  over  which  No.  1  shingles  are  laid  5  inches  to 
weather.  Windows  and  doors  are  all  double.  Front  and  ends  are 
sided  with  V  joint  matched  stuff  and  painted;  rear  is  covered  with 
common  rough  lumber.     This  completes  the  outside. 

There  are  two  pens,  6x14,  one  at  each  end  without  floor,  with 
ground  dust  box  in  each  just  in  front  of  window.  The  other  20  ft.  is 
divided  into  three  pens,  two  of  them  are  11x8  ft.  each,  and  one  is 
11x4  ft.  There  is  a  3  ft.  hall  running  full  length  of  the  20  ft.,  and  a 
door  on  each  end  to  get  into  the  exercise  room.  Fowls  go  through 
slide  doors  which  are  8x10  in.  All  outside  walls  are  grouted  between 
outside  siding  and  inside  lining;  grouting  is  made  rich  with  lime. 
Lathing  and  plastering,  one  good  heavy  coat,  completes  the  inside 
walls.  Pens  are  divided  2  ft.  up  from  bottom  with  ^  in.  base-boards. 
Then  to  ceiling  there  is  lattice  work.  The  doors  into  pens  are  lat- 
tice work  also.  Roost  poles  are  2x4  in.  rounded  on  top  corners  and  a 
groove  ploughed  down  the  centre  1-8  in.  wide  by  ^  in.  deep  to  within 
2  or  3  in.  of  either  end  for  coal  oil  as  lice  preventive,  bottom  of  same 
is  well  painted  with  pine  tar.  The  perches  rest  on  brackets  at  ends 
2j4  ft.  from  floor;  drop  boards  are  under  roosts  and  nests  are  under 
drop  boards  which  form  top  of  nest  boxes. 

The  middle  or  small  pen  is  used  for  sundry  purposes.  The  20x14 
ft.  is  double  floored  with  rough  pine. 

The  expense  is  exclusive  of  labor,  which  might  add  $15  to^total 
cost  if  a  carpenter  were  employed. 


LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


«9 


HALL     3- 


A  Canadian  Poultry  House. 
[Plans  and  Specifications  by  D.  L.  Someevillb,  Stewarttown,  Oni] 

COST    OF    MATERIAL, 

3  4x6  in.  20  ft $1  40 

2  4x6  in.  32  ft - I  53 

6  4x6  in.  14  ft -  2  16 

30  2x4  in - -  2  00 

560  ft.  common  flooring 448 

1,000  ft.  good  culls - ----  6  00 

400  ft.  dressed  siding -  8  00 

5  square  No,  i  shingle -  10  00 

Windows 9  60 

Hardware - -  i  5° 

Tar  paper 3  00 

Lath  and  plastering 4  75 


Total  cost -    $54-52 


39  ;,Oyf,  COST    POIJLTRY    HOUSES, 


BLYTHECOTE  POUIiTRY  HOUSE. 
¥    ¥    ¥ 

These  buildings  are  located  on  the  farm  of  J.  D.  Tompkins, 
Brainard,  N.  Y.,  and  are  models  of  convenience.  In  size  the  struc- 
ture is  about  14x32  ft.,  divided  into  compartments  8x10  ft.,  with  a 
hallway  in  rear  of  pens  four  feet  wide.  The  figure  of  the  ground 
plan  herewith  gives  detailed  information  in  itself.  The  partition 
along  the  hall  is  made  of  wire  netting  down  to  within  16  inches  of 
the  floor  and  below  this  are  small  rounds  two  and  a  half  inches  apart, 
through  which  the  fowls  feed  and  drink  from  a  trough  and  dishes 
placed  on  hallway  floor  close  to  the  partition.  The  pen  partitions  are 
of  wire  also  down  to  within  three  feet  of  floor,  then  they  are  boarded 
up  tight. 

Ventilators,  one  for  each  pen,  are  provided  in  the  shape  of  a 
chimney  made  of  boards  running  from  the  floor  up  through  and 
above  the  roof  with  an  opening  at  the  floor  to  ventilate  in  winter  by 
drawing  out  the  cooler  air  which  lies  near  the  floor,  also  with  an 
opening  in  the  ventilators  near  the  top  of  the  room  for  use  in  the 
summer  to  take  out  the  hot  air  near  the  ceiling,  one  to  be  closed 
when  the  other  is  open  according  to  the  season  or  as  occasion 
requires;  each  being  operated  by  a  cord  from  the  hall. 

The  perches  are  arranged  about  three  feet  from  the  floor  above 
a  platform  and  on  a  level  with  each  other.  About  one-third  of  the 
floor  of  this  platform  is  something  like  sixteen  inches  above  the  floor 
of  the  building  and  then  turned  up  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  making 
it  an  easy  task  to  remove  the  droppings — which  is  done  once  each 
week,  to  an  open  shed  provided  with  a  bin  for  the  purpose.  Under 
the  platform  at  the  low  side  is  arranged  movable  nest  boxes,  while 
under  the  inclined  part  a  dust  box  is  made,  in  which  the  fowls  enjoy 
the  great  luxury  of  a  dust  bath  in  wmter,  located  in  front  of  a  win- 
dow that  comes  to  the  floor.  The  floor  of  the  apartments  occupied 
by  the  fowls  is  covered  with  fine  gravel  and  sand  to  the  depth  of  two 
or  three  inches,  the  feeding  and  watering  being  done  from  the  hall- 
way with  only  wire  netting  for  partitions,  the  birds  may  be  seen  and 
cared  for  with  neatness,  pleasure  and  dispatch,  while  nothing  is 
wasted  or  made  unwholesome  by  getting  into  their  dishes. 


I.OW   COST    PCmLTRY    HOUSES. 


31 


BIyihecoie  Poultry  House — Ground  Plan. 


3» 


LOW   COST   POULTRY   HOUSES. 


At  Fig.  3  is  shown  a  transverse  section  of  the  building  and  at 
Fig.  5  is  a  section  of  the  nests  and  perches,  with  drop  boards  all  of 
which  are  self-explanatory  in  the  cut.  This  structure  is,  of  course, 
more  expensive  than  most  of  those  described  in  this  book,  yet  the 
reader  will  gain  many  valuable  hints  and  suggestions  from  a  detailed 
study  of  these  very  excellent  plans. 


TYYinsye-rse  Sfrfroa  at  CO. 


BIylhecoie  Poultry  House. 
[Plans  and  Specifications  Furnished  by  The  Poultry  Monthly,  Albany,  N,  T.] 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


33 


A  STRUCTUKE    COSTING  ABOUT  $25. 

The  accompanying  sketch  shows  general  plan  of  a  poultry  house^ 
that  need  not  cost  over  $25.  It  is  furnished  by  Mrs,  John  S.  New-' 
nam  of  Kent  Co.,  Md.  The  first  figure  shows  a  cross  section  of 
building  giving  arrangement  of  nest  boxes.  The  building  is  24  feet 
long,  12  feet  wide  (See  next  page.)  It  is  divided  into  three  sections. 
A  roost  room  8x12,  a  scratch  room  12x12,  an  egg  room  4x12.  The 
north  side  is  boarded  up.  The  door  near  the  end  opens  from  the 
yard  into  the  egg  room.  The  nests  are  boxes  on  shelves.  The  boxes 
can  be  drawn  through,  so  as  to  take  out  the  eggs  without  going  into 
the  next  room.  There  is  a  door  from  the  egg  room  to  the  scratch 
room,  where  the  shelves,  are.  There  is  a  door  from  the  scratch  room 
to  the  roost  room,  also  to  yard.  The  door  between  roost  and  scratch 
room  is  a  slat  door;  on  the  bottom  of  it  is  a  smaller  door,  which  can 
be  lifted  up;  it  has  a  liitle  strap  on  it  and  hooks  up  on  the  large  door. 


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Oc>\;1T<-N  "R»0l»1- 


CRO^S  SECIIOM  SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF    NEST  B:JXES. 

There  is  a  small  door  in  the  roost  room  for  ihem  to  go  in  and  out 
The  house  faces  to  the  south,  has  drop  windows  in  each  of  the  end 
sections  eight  feet  long  by  two  feet  wide.  They  have  wire  netting 
over  them  on  the  inside,  so  that  the  doors  oiily  have  to  be  up  in 
extreme  cold  weather.  The  middle  section  has  a  door  and  a  sash 
that  admits  light  and  sunshine  when  the  others  are  closed. 

The  posts  around  the  yard  are  chestnut  and  cedar.  The  bottom 
board  is  a  foot  wide,  then  a  three-inch  space,  another  board  of 
cypress  fence  boarding;  at  the  top  of  that  is  stretched  a  four-feet- 
wide  v/ire  netting.     The  frame  of  the  building  was  made  from   trees 


^ 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


that  grew  on  the  farm.  They  were  haule<-1  to  the  saw-mill  and  sawed 
fnto  sills,  posts  and  weather-boardina:.  When  it  was  finished  and  the 
expenses  added  up  the  whole  cost  was  about  $20.  Every  one  that 
has  seen  it  pronounces  it  a  verv  convenient  hen-house.  The  plan 
iffa.^  original  with  the  Baltimore  Weekly  Sun. 


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Sh:.lves  for    neits. 


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[rian  luinislieil    by  Mes,  John  M.  JsitwN  >m,  Keat  Uo.  iSld.J 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES.  35 

POULTRY  HOUSES  COSTING  UNDER  $35. 

¥    ¥    ¥ 

The  following  Six  Articles  are  Taken  from  "  The  Fanciers'  Review "  and  are  With- 
out Illustrations. 

¥    ¥    ¥ 

To  build  a  poultry  house  for  25  hens  for  $25,  I  should  build  in 
size  10x16  ft;  back  4>4  ft.,  front  7>4  ft.  hig^h,  to  be  divided  into  two 
pens  8x10  ft.,  window  in  middle  of  each  pen,  7x9,  12  lights,  door  in 
■end  south-east  corner.  It  should  be  boarded  with  matched  spruce 
12  ft.  long;  it  will  take  700  feet.  Walls  to  be  boarded  perpendicular, 
and  roof  in  same  way.  Then  a  12  ft,  board  will  cut  into  two  pieces, 
each  for  wall  boardmg,     S.^hedule  would  be: 

156  ft.  spruce  scantling  $17  per  M $  2  65 

700  matched  spruce,  $16 i  r   20 

2  windows,  7x9,  12  lights i  60 

I  bunch  lath 25 

5  squares  roofing 2  06 

10  pounds  8d.  nails 50 

Hardware 50 

Carpenter,  two  day's  time 5  00 

Total  cost $23  70 

Sills  2x9  are  to  be  set  up  edgewise  and  filled  with  gravel  inside 
to  make  a  dry  floor.  There  are  two  scantlings  to  nail  roof  boarding 
to,  besides  the  plates.  Drop  boards  are  two  feet  wide  and  the  same 
from  floor,  roosts  one  foot  above  drop  boards,  to  be  in  back  side  of 
house,  nest  boxes  under  drop  boards,  partition  in  centre  of  house, 
making  two  8x10  pens,  each  having  a  window  in  front. 

Lewis  B.  Paine. 


A  model  poultry  house  for  25  hens  that  need  not  cost  over  $25, 
should  be  13  feet  wide  by  14  feet  long,  with  a  hallway  3  feet  wide 
running  the  entire  length  of  the  house.  It  should  be  7  feet  high  at 
front  and  four  feet  high  at  back  with  flat  felt  roof.  The  hallway 
divided  from  the  pens  by  a  partition  of  wire  netting  down  to  within 
2. feet  of  the  floor  below,  which  are  lath  two  inches  apart;  leave  as 
many  holes  in  partition  next  to  the  floor  as  you  want  nests;  for  nest 
boxes  use  nail  kegs  with  one  side  sawed  out  and  when  you  gather 
eggs  turn  around  the  keg  so  the  opening  will  be  in  the  hall. 

Do  the  saime  when  the  hen  wants  to  sit,  then  the  rest  can't  get  to 
lier;  at  the  same  time  she  can  get  feed  and  water.     Do    all  feeding 


36  LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSFS. 

and  watering  in  troughs  in  the  hall  as  the  hens  will  eat  '■hrough  the 
slats  and  cannot  foul  the  water  or  feed.  This  does  away  with  going 
into  the  pen  except  to  clean. 

This  house  is  divided  into  two  pens,  each  pen  7x10,  giving  room 
for  r2  hens  and  cock.  In  front  of  each  pen  put  a  window  with  shut- 
ters to  close  at  night.  For  perches  use  2X2's  seven  feet  long,  placed 
over  a  trough  made  of   boards    14  inches   wide  running   the  entire 

length;  under  perches  put  sifted  coal  ashes.  A.  J.  Tobv. 

«-♦-» 

The  ideal  poultry  house  must  cost  little.  Keep  the  fowls  healthy 
and  profitable,  and  save  labor.  It  must  stand  on  well  drained  or 
naturally  dry  soil,  and  surface  water  must  at  all  times  be  kept  out. 
{Set  cedar  or  chestnut  posts  deeply  and  cut  off  six  inches  above  the 
ground.  On  these  put  sills  2x8  inches.  Buiid  a  light  frame  the  sides 
covered  with  boards  over  which  heavy  tarred  felt  is  fastened  by  lath. 
The  roof  is  boards  covered  with  2-ply  prepared  roofing,  and  is  placed 
just  high  enough  to  walk  under  comfortabl)',  and  slopes  gently.  The 
entire  length  is  32  feet  by  10  feet  wide. 

First  comes  an  open  shed  six  feet  wide  with  door  in  outer  wall  at 
front.  Next  a  felt  covered  board  partition  with  door  at  front,  then  a 
10x10  feet  pen,  a  lath  partition  with  door,  another  10x10  feet  pen 
and  another  felt  covered  partition  and  door,  a  six-foot  shed  at  other 
end  of  building  with  door.  The  ends  of  building,  enclosing  sheds 
need  not  be  felt  covered.  The  open  ends  of  sheds  face  the  south. 
A  12  light  10x12  inch  sash,  with  wire  netting  inside,  must  occur  in 
each  pen  at  the  south  side.  Holes  6x8  inches  are  provided  to  let 
hens  into  the  sheds  on  sunny  days.  Coarse  wire  netting  covers  the 
open  fronts  of  sheds  in  winter  to  keep  the  hens  off  the  snow.  A 
scratching  box  seven  feet  long  by  four  feet  two  inches  wide  by  ten 
inches  deep  is  set  level  against  the  inside  partition  and  the  back  wall, 
twenty  inches  from  the  ground.  Twenty  inches  above  this  a  level 
platform,  seven  feet  long  and  25  inches  wide  with  eight  inch  cleats  at 
each  end  extending  upwards  and  beveled  both  ways  towards  the 
end--,  form  a  rest  for  a  one  and  one-half  by  four  inch  by  seven  foot 
movable  roost-bar.  The  other  pen  is  furnished  in  the  same  way, 
against  the  opp-^site  corner.  Three  nail  kegs  each  with  holes  cut  in 
sides,  make  good  nests.  Use  pine  saw  dust  in  nests.  Provide  cut 
hay  or  straw  in  scratching  boxes  in  which  scatter  grain  often  and 
change  every  two  weeks.  Pat  springs  on  all  pen  doors  so  they  close 
quickly  behind  you.  Dispense  with  all  ventilators.  In  hot  weather, 
fasten  the  doors  open  a  trifle.  Feed  soft  feed  and  oyster  shells  on 
sills.  Drive  a  few  four-inch  wire  nails  through  a  narrow  board  and 
tack  on  a  sill.  On  these  stick  beets  and  cabbage.  Put  corn  in  hop- 
pers and  arrange  with  windlass,  rope  and  pulley  to  let  hens  eat   ia 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSFS  37 


evenings,  then  elevate  out  of  reach  of  rats.  The  whole  ground  floor 
is  available  to  hens  and  is  easily  cleaned.  Put  a  load  of  sand  in  the 
shed  one  fall  and  the  next  fall  put  it  in  the  pen  and  draw  in  more. 

This  building  need  not  cost  over  $25  if  you  do  the  work.  No 
better  poultry  house  can  be  built  at  any  price.  Plymouth  Rocks, 
Wyandottes  and  similar  breeds  will  not  freeze  at  20  degrees  below 
zero.  In  cold  weather  heat  the  drinking  water  two  or  three  times  a 
day.  Put  the  timid  and  young  fowls  in  a  pen  together.  Birds  of  the 
same  breed  do  best  together.  For  a  larger  number  of  fowls,  and  at  a 
greater  expense,  a  house  can  be  bui't  to  save  a  good  deal  of  labor 
over  this  one,  but  limited  space  prevents  a  description. 

J.  H.  Nellis. 


"How  shall  I  build  my  poultry  house?"  is  a  question  which  every 
one  who  is  about  to  embark  in  the  poultry  business  asks  himself.  I 
shall  answer:  As  eight  feet  of  floor  space  is  required  by  each  fowl, 
the  building  must  be  built  12x16  feet  to  allow  of  enough  room. 
Build  the  house  of  sod,  if  in  the  prairie  states,  or  of  stone  if  it  is 
handy,  as  a  frame  building  cannot  be  made  warm  enough  to  keep 
down  diseases  for  $25.  if  lumber  costs  $25  to  $30  per  M.,  as  it  does 
here  in  Kansas.  Baild  the  back  or  north  side  six  feet  and  the  south 
side  four  feet.  The  north  roof  should  be  one-half  pitch  and  six  feet 
long;  the  south  roof  three-eighths  pitch  and  ten  feet  long.  South 
roof  to  contain  a  hot-bed  sash  to  provide  plenty  of  light.  This 
should  be  covered  with  a  double  blind  at  night  to  retain  the  heat. 
A  double  thickness  of  glass  is  better  and  answers  the  same  purpose. 
Make  the  roof  of  shingles. 

The  frame  now  constructed,  proceed  to  give  the  inside  a  good 
plastering  so  as  to  prevent  lice  from  gaining  a  foothold,  a  point 
worthy  our  consideration.  Now  give  all  the  inside  of  the  building  a 
good  coat  of  whitewash.  Make  an  opening  large  enough  to  give  the 
fowls  an  opportunity  for  egress  and  ingress  on  the  south  side.  Leave 
the  doorway  in  the  east  or  west  end  near  the  north  side.  Make  ven- 
tilator in  top  of  building  so  as  to  let  out  the  once  breathed  air  and  let 
fresh  air  in  at  the  bottom.  Avoid  the  four-section  tube  ventilators, 
or  you  will  regret  it  when  you  lose  your  best  birds  with  roup,  etc. 

Make  your  perches  of  round  poles  from  your  woods,  three  nches 
in  diameter,  or  of  3x4*8  rounded  at  the  upper  corners.  Place  these 
over  a  platform  elevated  one  and  one-half  or  two  feet  from  the  floor. 
Make  four  platforms  of  ten  two-inch  boards  with  1x3  inches  furring 
around  the  edge  to  prevent  the  waste  of  droppings  and  also  to  save 
labor  as,  if  the  hens  walk  on  the  droppings,  some  of  them  will  stick 
to  their  feet  and  be  daubed  on  the  perches.     The  furring  also  assists 


38  LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSFS. 

the  heavy  fowls  in  getting  on  and  off  the  roost.  Under  this  roost 
platform  you  can  set  your  hens.  Use  wire  nest  boxes,  as  they  can  be 
burned  when  the  house  is  fumigated.  Mike  your  dust  box  2x3  feet 
and  9  inches  deep.  Provide  a  box  to  be  filled  with  gravel,  lime,, 
charcoal  and  cut  bone.  Place  them  in  the  lightest  part  of  the  house 
and  everything  is  ready  for  business.  Orlen  A.  Lewis, 


I  have  a  poultry  house  8x24  and  keep  27  chickens  in  it.  I  have 
it  divided  into  three  pens  8x8  each,  and  eight  hens  and  cock  or  cock- 
erel in  each  pen.  The  coop  can  be  built  for  $25,  or  even  less,  as  any 
one  may  wish.  All  it  needs  is  two  sticks  2x6,  24  feet  long;  i,  2x6  and 
16  leet  long;  2  sticks  2x4,  24  feet  long;  6  2x4  and  17  feet  long  for 
rafters  and  it  won't  take  a  thousand  feet  of  lumber  to  make  it  seven 
feet  in  front  and  five  behind,  with  three  window  sashes  three  feet 
square,  one  for  every  eight  feet.  I  have  the  roof  covered  with  felting 
and  papered  inside  with  vermin  proof  building  paper,  and  it  makes  a 
cheap  and  warm  coop  for  the  size  and  money.  Charles  Hurt, 


Get  six  large  dry  goods  packing  poxes.  Place  them  side  by  side 
fronting  south,  on  timbers.  Pat  glass  window  sash  in  east  side  of 
east  box.  Same  in  south  front  of  next  box,  and  of  next  also;  make 
doors  opening  in  south  front  of  boxes  four,  five  and  six.  Remove 
bottom  from  boxes  i,  2  and  3.  Leave  bottom  in  4,  5  and  6.  Fill 
bottom  of  I,  2  and  3  with  earth,  gravel  or  coal  ashes.  Put  three 
roost  poles  in  4  and  5.  Six  is  the  nest  room.  Cut  18  inch  opening 
from  5  to  6.  Remove  partition  between  4  and  5  to  allow  roost  poles. 
Cut  iS-inch  openings  between  i  and  2  and  2  and  3,  and  3  and  4. 
Cover  all  the  boxes  with  roofing  paper.  The  doors  will  give  access 
to  nest  boxes  and  for  cleaning  B.  ror  of  roost  rooms.  Openmg  for 
hens  may  be  in  glass  sash  of  No.  2  by  taking  out  one  glass  and  fixing 
slide  in  its  place.  This  is  an  invention  of  my  wife  who  also  did  all 
the  work  except  the  necessary  sav.ing.  Cost  did  not  reach  $500. 
We  kept  25  mixed  Leghorns  in  this  house.  The  small  rooms  retain 
nearly  all  the  animal  heat  so  that  no  comb  froze  during  our  very 
severe  winters.  The  hens  were  allowed  to  run  out  during  the  day 
time.  Snow  shoveled  away  from  south  front  so  as  to  give  exercise 
and  feeding  ground  10x20  feet  upon  which  litter  from  horse  stable 
was  occasionally  spread  to  give  scratching  exercise.  We  got  eggs 
in  plenty.  Tnese  hens  laid  as  well  as  did  our  choice  stock  in  our 
$100  house.  We  got  from  10  eggs  per  day  in  December  to  22  per 
day  in  March.  This  is  as  good  a  house  as  any  one  can  make  where 
results  only  are  sought,  George  A,  Gowdy. 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSF.S.  ^'^ 

Plan  of  lIoiiie=3Iade  Incubator. 
^    ¥    ¥ 

With  the  aid  of  the  accompanying  i]lustration.s,  but  little  diffi- 
culty need  be  experienced  in  making  an  incubator,  and  as  the  one 
here  described  is  in  general  use,  it  has  been  fully  tested  and  found 
to  perform  all  that  may  reasonably  be  expected.  Fig.  i  represents 
the  interior  of  the  incubator. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  there  are  an  outer  and  inner  box,  with 
sawdust  between  them — chaff  or  any  such  material  will  answer. 
The  outer  box  is  48  inches  long,  44  wide  and  36  high.  The  inner 
box  is  40  inches  long,  32  inches  wide,  iS  inches  deep,  and  holds  a 
tank  32x36  inches.  The  outer  measurements  are  used  in  measuring 
boxes.  A  is  the  outer  box  and  B  the  inner.  C  C  are  strips  one  inch 
wide  and  one  inch  thick,  wnth  iron  rods  ^  of  an  inch  thick  (F  F) 
upon  which  the  tank  rests.  D  D  are  similar  strips  (but  no  rods)  for 
supporting  the  ^'g^  drawer.  E  is  a  i}4  inch  tin  tube,  two  feet  long, 
which  admits  air  into  the  ventilator  (>pace  under  ^g<g  drawer).  The 
ventilator  is  five  inches  deep,  and  is  of  the  same  length  and  width  as 
the  tank.  Fig.  2  shows  a  sectional  plan.  A  is  a  tube  extending 
through  the  incubator  into  the  tank.  B  is  a  faucet  for  drawing  off 
water.  C  is  the  egg  drawer.  D  is  the  tin  air  tube.  The  egg  drawer, 
Fig.  3,  is  four  inches  deep,  outside  measurement,  and  should  be 
made  of  light  material.  It  is  39  inches  long  and  30  inches  wide,  con- 
taining three  movable  trays,  1  )4  inches  deep,  and  of  size  to  fit  in  the 
drawer.  The  bottoms  are  thin  strips  (one  inch  wide  and  one  inch 
apart,  to  both  drawer  and  tray.--)  over  which  muslin  is  tightly  drawn 
and  tacked.  The  tank  is  seven  inches  deep.  The  faucet  is  detach- 
able, and  screwed  in  when  desired,  on  a  thread.  The  tube  on  top  is 
seven  inches  high.  The  front  of  the  egg  drawer  is  also  boxed  off 
and  filled  with  sawdust. 

It  requires  about  1 15  feet  of  lumber  (inch  tongued  and  grooved 
boards),  and  the  cost  of  the  tank  is  about  $5.  The  plan  of  the  tank 
is  show  at  the  sectional  view  given.  When  completed  the  incubator 
is  simply  a  box,  having  this  appearance — see  Fig.  4. 

In  building,  one  may  follow  any  plan  that  may  be  preferred,  as  it 
is  not  necessary  to  conform  to  any  particular  design.  Have  the  floor 
close.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  make  a  warm  room  for  keeping  the' 
eggs  at  a  uniform  temperature;  but  do  not  attempt  to  have  any  tubes 
for  the  escape  of  air.  Opening  the  drawers  to  turn  the  eggs  provides 
sufficient  ventilation. 

DIRECIIONS    FOR    OPERATING. 

Each  tray  holds  about  80  eggs,  laid  in  promiscuously,  the  same  as 
in  a  nest,  making  the  total  number  for  incubator  240  eggs.     First  fill 


40 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


Fig.   1. 


■^ 

A 

Saw     Dust 

\ 

Tank 

B 

Egg  Drawer 

r 

pVENTtLATORin 

.0 

Fio.  2. 


Fig.  4. 


A  Home-Made   Incubator. 


I,OW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES.  4X 


the  tank  with  boilin^j  water,  but  never  allow  it  to  remain  in  the  tube 
on  top,  as  It  thus  increases  pressure  ;  hence  when  the  tank  is  full  to 
top  of  tube,  draw  off  a  gallon  of  water.  Fill  it  48  hours  before  put- 
ting eegs  in,  and  have  heat  up  to  115°  before  they  are  put  in.  As  the 
eggs  will  cool  down  the  heat,  do  not  open  the  drawers  for  six  hours, 
when  the  heat  should  be  103°,  and  kept  as  near  to  that  degree  as  pos- 
sible, until  the  end  of  the  hatch.  It  is  best  to  run  it  a  few  days  with- 
out eggs,  to  learn  it  thoroughly.  Place  incubator  in  a  place  where 
the  temperature  does  not  fall  below  60°.  As  the  heat  will  come  up 
slowly,  It  will  also  cool  off  slowly.  Should  the  heat  be  difficult  to 
bring  up.  or  the  eggs  be  too  cool,  you  can  raise  or  lower  the  trays, 
using  small  strips  under  them.  You  can  also  stop  up  or  open  the  air 
tube  in  the  front  opening  of  the  ventilator  whenever  you  desire. 
When  the  eggs  are  put  in,  the  drawer  will  cool  down  some.  All  that 
is  rt  q-iired  then  is  to  add  about  a  bucket  or  so  of  water  once  or  twice 
a  day,  in  the  morning  and  at  night,  but  be  careful  about  endeavoring 
to  get  up  heat  suddenly,  as  the  heat  does  not  rise  for  five  hours  after 
the  additional  bucket  of  water  is  added.  The  cool  air  comes  from 
the  ventilator  pipe,  passing  through  the  musUn  bottom  of  the  egg- 
drawer  to  the  eggs.  Avoid  opening  the  egg-drawer  frequently,  as  it 
allows  too  much  to  escape  of  heat,  and  be  careful  not  to  open  it  when 
chicks  are  hatching,  unless  compelled,  as  it  causes  loss  of  heat  and 
moisture  at  a  critical  time. 

Cold  drafts  on  the  chicks  at  that  time  are  fatal.  Do  not  oblige 
visitor.^.  Be  sure  your  thermometer  records  correctly,  as  half  the 
failures  are  due  to  incorrect  thermometers,  and  not  one  in  twenty  is 
correct.  Place  the  bulb  of  the  thermometer  even  with  the  top  of  the 
eggs,  that  is,  when  the  thermometer  is  lying  down  in  the  drawer, 
with  the  upper  end  slightlv  raised,  so  as  to  allow  the  mercury  to  rise, 
but  the  bulb  and  eggs  should  be  of  the  same  heat,  as  the  figures 
record  the  heat  in  the  bulb,  and  not  in  the  tube. 

Turn  the  eggs  twice  a  dav  at  regular  intervals — six  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  six  o'clock  at  night.  Do  not  let  them  cool  lower  than 
70  degrees.  Turn  them  by  taking  a  row  of  eggs  from  the  end  of  the 
tray  and  placing  them  at  the  other  end,  turning  the  eggs  by  rolling 
them  over  with  your  hand.  By  removing  only  one  row  you  can  roll 
all  the  rest  easily.  Give  no  moisture  the  first  week,  very  little  the 
second,  and  plenty  the  third  week.  D  >  not  sprinkle  the  eggs.  For 
moisture,  put  a  wet  sponge,  the  .siz5  of  an  e^o;  (placed  in  a  flat  cup), 
in  each  tray  the  second  week,  and  two  sponges  in  each  tray  the  third 
week.  Do  not  put  in  sponges  until  you  are  about  to  shut  up  the 
drawer,  after  turning.  Wet  the  sponges  by  dipping  in  hot  water. 
After  the  first  ten  days  the  animal  heat  of  the  chicks  will  partially 
assist  in  keeping  up  the  temperature.  Be  careful,  as  heat  always 
drops  when  chicks  are  taken  out.  Yon  can  have  a  small  glass  door 
in  front  of  the  e^o:  drawer,  to  observe  thermometer,  if  desired. 
Always  change  position  of  trays  when  the  eggs  are  turned,  putting 
the  front  one  at  the  rear.  After  the  fourteenth  day  spray  the  eggs 
twice  a  day  with  water  warmed  to  no  degrees,  using  an  atomizer, 
and  do  it  quickly. 

[For  tlip  (ibove  article,  written  by  P.  TT.  jAr-oFs,  witli  the  illustrations,  -we  are  in- 
debted to  that  excelleut  actriiuiltnral  journal,  The  Uukal  Nkw  Yokkkk  While  soiiie 
may  prefer  to  construct  th  ir  own  incubators,  most  iioultryrnen  will  liiid  it  more  satis- 
factory to  buy  one  of  the  many  excelleut  machines  now  on  the  maiket.j 


42 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


A  HOME  MADE  BROODEli. 

The  brooder  herewith  described  is  simple  and  cheap.  The  tank 
A  in  Fig.  i  consists  of  a  three-inch  iron  pipe  eight  feet  or  more  long 
screwed  up  with  a  cap  on  each  end.  Through  one  end  is  bored  a 
hole,  through  which  a  one-inch  pipe  B  runs  up  nearly  to  the  other 
end  of  the  tank.  On  this  pipe  B  outside  is  screwed  a  T,  standing 
xipright.  Oa  top  of  this  T  is  a  small  cock  E  and  below  the  T  is  a 
one-fourth  inch  pipe  with  valve  and  union.  A  hole  bored  on  the 
underside  of  the  tank  very  near  the  cap  has  a  one-fourth  or  three- 
eighths  inch  pipe  screwed  in  for  the  backflow  F\  this  also  has  a  valve 
and  union.  Another  hole  bored  on  top  of  the  tank  for  a  piece  of 
one-inch  pipe  C  for  pouring  in  the  water;  when  filling  ihe  tank  the 
cock  E  ought  to  be  opened  so  as  to  let  out  the  air.  A  small  piece  of 
one-fourth-inch  pipe  D  connected  by  a  rubber  hose  reaches  a  pan  on 


■^^-  -^'         —  -I  L 

\  I 


FIG.    1.      SECTION  OF  BROODER  BOILER. 


FIG.  2.      SECTION   OF  THE  BROODER. 

the  floor  for  the  overflow.  The  oil  stove  or  lamp  G  is  for  heating. 
This  heater  works  very  steadily,  is  cheap  and  will  last  a  long  while. 
Having  built  the  boiler,  the  box  is  made  around  it.  Each  partition 
of  the  brooder  is  two  feet  long  and  seven  or  eight  inches  wide.  In 
the  back  is  a  glass  door  sixteen  inches  long  for  convenience  in  clean- 
ing out,  and  looking  in.  The  front  partition  i,  as  shown  in  Fig.-  2, 
consists  of  three  pieces  of  glass  arranged  to  slide  or  to  be  taken  out 
at  will.  The  front  box,  or  first  run,  4,  is  covered  with  glass.  It  con- 
tains a  pane  to  lift  up  for  putting  in  the  feed.  After  the  chickens 
grow  bigger  partitions  i  and  2  are  removed  and  the  little  ones 
allowed  to  run  down  on  board  3.  A  fence  two  feet  high  of  one  inch 
wire  mesh  separates  each  fl  )ck.  It  is  not  advised  to  put  more  than 
thirty  chicks  together,  else  they  will  crowd  and  kill  each  other. 


I.OW  COST  POULTRY  HOUSES. 


43 


Coops  and  Other  Conveniences. 
¥   ¥   ^ 

The  variety  in  chicken  coops  is  almost  endless.  Every  poultry- 
man  has  his  own  notions  of  the  coop  that  will  answer  his  purposes 
best,  yet  we  take  this  opportunity  to  present  a  few  illustrations  of 
coops  and  other  conveniences  which  may  be  used  as  patterns  or  may 
be  taken  as  suggestive  merely. 

At  Fig.  I,  there  is  shown  an 

improvement    on  the   ordmary 

coop  with  fixed  slats.    Here  the 

slats  are  made  into  a  door  which 

is  hinged.      It    is   to   be  closed 

during  the  day,  and  at  night  it 

IS  thrown  open  and  the  screen 

door,  shown  at  top  of  coop,  is 

thrown  down.    This  door  should 

be  so  hung  as  to  allow  it  to  lie 

Fig.   r,  flat  on  top  of  the  coop  when  not 

in  use.     The  screen  admits  air  and  does  not  allow  the  chicks  to  stray 

into  "outer  darkness"  nor  midnight  prowlers  to  crawl  within.     It  is 

cheaply  constructed  and  the  cut  explains  itself. 

COOP  WITH  DRY  RUN. 


The  coop  shown  at  Fig.  2,  is  intended  for  small  chicks.  It  is  made- 
of  an  ordinary  size  dry  goods  or  boot  box,  the  lath  portion  bemg 
intended  for  a  dry  run  for  the  chicks  when  grass  and  ground  is  wet. 
It  may  be  of  any  length  desired, 
and  may  be  constructed  of  scant- 
ling for  corner  parts  and  frame, 
with  lath  nailed  to  sides  of  box 
and  extending  out  in  front  as 
far  as  necessary.  The  inner 
gate  or  lifting  door,  is  to  keep 
chicks  within  box  during  storms.  PiQ    2. 

Its  construction   is   obvious.     The  run   section   can,  of    course,  be 
extended  to  any  desired  length. 


44 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


A  COOL  WEATHER  COOP. 


A  coop  for  cool  weather  is  shown  at  Fig.  3.  It  is  something  in 
which  chicks  will  delight  if  they  are  hatched  out  so  early  in  spring  as 
to  make  out-door  exercise  impracticable.     The  general  construction 

of  the  coop  is  obvious.  It  is,  say, 
4  feet  long,  2]/^  feet  wide  with  a 
glass  covered  run  in  front  of  about 
2  feet.  The  highest  part  of  roof 
should  be  about  30  inches,  rear  14 
inches.  There  should  be  a  board 
Fig.  3.  partition  between  main  coop  and 

run,  with  openings  in  bottom  to  allow  the  chicks  to  enter  the  glass- 
covered  run.  Wire  or  even  lath  may  be  used  for  this  partition,  the 
idea  being  simply  to  keep  the  hen  out  of  the  run,  which  is  intended 
for  the  sole  use  of  the  chicks.  The  sash  in  the  annex  should  be 
moveable  or  hinged  at  upper  part.  It  is  well  to  construct  the  coop 
with  a  floor  to  be  kept  covered  with  sand  or  ashes,  particularly  in  the 
chicken  run,  or  if  it  is  located  on  dry  ground  the  floor  is  not  necessary. 
Set  the  coop  facing  the  sun  so  that  its  rays  may  fall  on  the  gla«!s  and 
then  watch  your  chicks  disport  themselves  even  when  the  tempera- 
ture is  low  without. 

ATBROODING  PEN. 


At  Fig.  4.  a  brooding  pen  is  shown,  or  rather  there  are  two  pens 
in  the  illustration.  These  may  be  built  in  sections  of  two,  and  placed 
in  the  most  convenient  places  in  and  about  the  poultry  house  or  yard. 
The  size  should  be  4  feet  square 
and  three  feet  high.  The  lid  is 
for  convenience  in  attending  to 
the  sitting  hen.  The  front  of 
pen  is  a  wire  screen.  The  nest 
is  at  A  in  the  illustration,  the 
side  of  pen  being  removed  to 
show  it.  The  nest  should  be  a 
box  16  or  18  inches  square,  open 
at  one  side,  with  a  door  to  cover 
opening  in  case  the  hen  becomes 
"cranky  "  about  sitting  quietly  on 
nest.     Each  pen  should,  of  course,  Fir..  4. 

be  supplied  with  feed  and  drinking  vessels,  and  floor  should  be 
covered  with  sawdust.  Much  depends  on  the  success  you  have  in 
managing  your  hens  when  sitting  on  a  clutch  of  valuable  eggs,  and 
you  will  find  this  contrivance  a  good  one. 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSFS. 


45 


NEST  BOXES  FOR  EGG-EATING  HENS. 

If  a  poultryman  is  troubled  with  egg-eating  hens,  we  commend 
the  style  of  nest  boxes  shown,  herewith  at  Fig.  5.  The  nests  are  dark 
inside,  hence  the  hens  cannot  see  to  consume  the  eggs,  and  some 

claim  that  a  dark  nest  is  an  induce- 
ment to  laying.  The  box  is  about 
five  feet  long,  18  inches  high  in 
rear  and  eight  inches  front.  At 
the  right-hand  corner  is  shown  the 
entrance  to  the  nests,  and  it  should 
be  about  eight  or  ten  inches  wide. 
Fig.  5.  The  cover  is,  of  course,  to  be  closed 

except  when  eggs  are  being  gathered  Use  common  inch  boards  in 
the  construction  of  the  nests;  no  detailed  description  is  necessary  for 
anyone  handy  with  hammer,  saw  and  nails. 

A  LIGHT  SHIPPING  COOP.       ., 

In  these  days  of  high  express  charges,  a  light  shipping  coop  is 
very  desirable.  A  good  one  is  shown  at  Fig.  6.  It  is  easily  and 
cheaply  made.  The  bottom,  which  is  of  light  matched  boards,  may 
be  made  about  two  feet  by  two 
and  a  half,  and  the  top  about  one- 
quarter  the  width  of  the  bottom 
and  same  length.  If  preferred, 
you  can  tack  some  cheese  cloth 
over  the  crate  before  the  slats  are 
nailed  on,  and  where  good,  strong 
cloth  is  used  some  of  the  slats  may 
be  dispensed  with,  thus  lightening  Fig.  6. 

the  coop.     It  ought  not  to  weigh  over  8  or  10  pounds  when  completed. 
A  FEEDING  BOX  OR  RACK. 


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Fig.  7. 


Fig.  7  is  a  feeding  box  or  rack 
for  fowls.  The  bottom  is  a 
board  say  five  feet  long,  or  as 
much  longer  as  is  desired,  with 
two  cross  pieces  beneath  to  pre- 
vent warping.  A  two-mch  strip 
is  nailed  around  the  edges  ta 
keep  feed  in  place  on  the  board. 


The  box  or  crate  is  then  set  upon  the  platform,  as  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration, the  door  in  top  of  same  being  intended  to  admit  the  feeding 
and  drinking  vessels.  This  feeding  box  prevents  waste  of  feed  and 
keeps  it  and  the  water  from  being  polluted.     It  is  very  serviceable. 


46 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


CRATE  EOR  SHIPPING  CHICKS. 


While  speaT^ing  of  shipping  fowls,  let  us  call  attention  to  the  little 
basket  (Fig.  8,)  for  shipping  chickens.  As  it  is  not  improbable  that 
in  the  future  chicks  rather  than  eggs  will  be  bought  and  sold,  it  will 

be  necessary  to  have  a  convenient 
and  well-adapted  basket  for  that 
purpose.  Here  we  have  it.  The 
basket  is  made  of  white  oak  splints, 
as  they  combine  lightness  and 
strength,  and  is  lo  inches  deep. 
Its  other  dimensions  may  conform 
to  the  needs  of  the  shipper.  The 
cover  is  of  stout  wire  netting  and 
handles  on  each  end  make  it  con- 
venient of  handling.  With  the  six 
apartments  quite  a  number  of  chicks  can  be  shipped  without  over- 
crowding. Where  it  is  not  practicable  to  use  splints  for  the  sides  and 
bottom  of  the  crate,  any  light  wood  can  be  employed.  Poultrymen 
will  find  this  little  contrivance  a  very  practical  one  when  in  need  of 
something  to  convey  chicks,  or  even  fowls  if  the  depth  of  basket  be 
a  little  greater. 

A  ROOST  CONTRIVANCE. 


Fig.  8. 


There  is,  we  believe,  serious  objection  to  having  fowls  roost 
within  six  inches  or  so  of  the  accumulated  droppings.  Coupled  with 
bad  ventilation,  disease  is  almost  sure  to  follow.  The  illustration  at 
Fig.  9  shows  a  contrivance  inten- 
ded to  remedy  this  defect  of  most 
poultry  houses.  The  roosting  per- 
ches or  main  frame  are  to  be  as 
long  as  necessity  demands,  and 
should  be  about  three  or  four  feet 
from  the  floor.  Some  prefer  a  less 
distance,  some  a  greater.  Under 
the  cross  perches  drop  boards  are  placed  (shown  at  A,  A),  which  are 
about  six  inches  wider  than  the  cross  perches  and  which  convey  the 
droppings  into  the  boxes  (B,  B).  These  are  easily  removed  each 
day,  sand  or  sawdust  being  placed  in  the  bottom  of  them  before 
returning  to  their  places.  We  consider  this  a  decided  improvement 
over  the  level  drop  board  close  under  the  roosting  perches. 


Fig.  9. 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSF.S. 


47 


A  FEEDING  PLATFORM  FOR  FOWLS. 


The  cut  at  Fig-.  lo,  shows  a  small  platform  upon  which  to  feed 
fowls,  and  thus  avoid  the  common  and  wasteful  practice  of  throwing 
the  grain  or  wet  food  upon  the  earth  or  snow.     The  platform  may  be 

of  any  desired  size,  built  by  the 
side  of  the  poultry  house,  and  con- 
sists of  a  bottom -board  raised  a 
few  inches  from  the  ground,  with 
a  narrow  border  upon  its  three 
sides.  A  slatted  "  drop  "  is  secured 
■  LO  the  side  of  the  building,  as 
shown  at  A  in  the  illustration. 
Fig.  io.  After   the  food   is  placed   on  the 

platform,  the  drop  is  lowered  as  shown  at  B,  and  prevents  the  fowls 
from  crowding  upon  the  board,  soiling  the  feed  with  their  feet,  and 
causing  waste. 


A  NEST  CONTRIVANCE. 


Are  you  ever  troubled  with  several  hens  trying  to  get  on  the  nest 
at  the  same  time?  If  so,  the  illustration  at  Fig.  ii  shows  how  to 
obviate  the  difficulty.     You  can  make  the  box  out  of  an  old  boot  case. 

The  board  upon  which  biddy  is 
walking  in  the  upper  figure  of  the 
illustration  is  two  inches  narrower 
than  the  box  and  is  so  pivoted  that 
it  can  move  up  and  down.  The 
heaviest  part  of  the  platform  should, 
of  course,  be  toward  the  entrance 
so  that  the  approach  to  the  nest  will 
be  open  when  the  hen  isn't  on  it. 
When  she  steps  over  the  pivot  the 
nest  end  drops  and  closes  the  en- 
trance. Simple,  but  effective. 
Fig.  II. 


48 


LOW    COST    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


A  MOVABLE  NEST  BOX. 


The  two  accompanying  illustrations  show  a  movable  nest  box. 
The  advantage  of  having  the  nests  so  that  they  can  be  easily  taken 
out  and  cleaned,  is  to  every  poultryman  self-evident.     These  boxes 

are  in  sections  of  six  nests  each 
and  are  about  4  feet  long.  Two 
of  these  are  placed  end  to  end  and 
fitttd  loosely  in  under  the  partition 
dividing  hallway  from  pen,  the 
boxes  thus  forming  a  part  of  par- 
tition. Fig.  12  shows  the  nests 
facing  toward  pen.  Fig.  13  shows 
the  side  of  box  toward  hallway, 
the  hinged  lid  at  top  permitting 
the  eggs  to  be  removed  from  upper 
nests  and  the  hinged  back  from 
lower  nests  without  going  into 
pen.  They  will  be  found  very 
convenient.  The  boxes  should  be 
of  inch  stuff  and  anyone  handy 
with  carpenter's  tools  can  easily 
make  them. 


Fig. 


Fig. 


13- 


A  DR'NKING  FOUNTAIN. 


Another  convenience  for  the  poultry  house  is  the  drinking  foun- 
tain as  illustrated  at  Fig  14.  It  represents  a  convenient  arrangement 
for  furnishing  a  steady  supply  of  drinking  water  to  fowls.  The 
vessel  is  made  by  soldering  a  tin  bottom  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  can,  so  as  to  form  a  trough  on 
all  sides.  Several  small  holes  are  made  in  the 
can.  The  can  may  be  filled  by  submerging  it  in 
water,  or  through  a  hole  in  the  top  provided  with 
an  airtight  cork.  The  trough  will  fill  up  above 
the  holes  and  remain  so  until  the  water  in  the 
can  is  exhausted.     The  water  flows  from  the  can  Fig   14. 

as  fast  as  it  is  needed  by  the  fowls.     If  properly  constructed,  the 
trough  can  never  run  over. 


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